Bill Hudson, Corey Rosenbusch, and Richard Tracy share knowledge with other international association executives

WASHINGTON, DC, April 4, 2011 – In the world of international trade associations, the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) is known and respected as a leader for the extensive range of international programs it runs in developing nations.

At a recent International Conference held by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), GCCA President and CEO Bill Hudson, GCCA Vice President Corey Rosenbusch, and GCCA Director of International Programs Richard Tracy led an interactive “Speak Your Mind” session that fostered a lively exchange of ideas.

The session came near the end of the two-day conference in Washington, DC and was an opportunity for the sold-out crowd of 150 attendees to assess what they learned and share ideas in small-group discussions.

Hudson and Tracy began by outlining the extensive GCCA global initiatives, which are focused on building and improving the cold chain capacity for the safe storage and transport of food products in developing nations. The programs include extensive education and training programs and, in many countries, the launch of new national associations of cold chain professionals.

This background set the stage for Rosenbusch to facilitate a discussion among attendees about key areas of international development for U.S.-based associations. After identifying a dozen key topics such as international meetings, bridging cultural differences, establishing global offices, pursuing grant opportunities, and demonstrating return on investment, Rosenbusch set up small-group discussion tables for each topic. Attendees rotated among the tables and discussion leaders then reported the best
ideas to the entire group.

Hudson was invited to speak because of his role as Chairman of the Alliance for International Meetings & Commerce (AIMC), an organization that shares knowledge and promotes the growth of international meetings and global commerce opportunities.

AIMC was founded and is managed by IMN Solutions, a Washington, DC-area association, meetings, and foundation management company.

“Years ago when we were first getting involved in international programs through the World Food Logistics Organization – the main GCCA core partner that runs international programs – we learned a lot from other associations that had done similar things,” Hudson said. “Now we are the ones who have a very well-developed program through GCCA and WFLO, so we are always happy to share our knowledge with other associations in forums of this type.”

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The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics and unites partners to be innovative leaders in the temperature-controlled products industry. GCCA is comprised of its Core Partners, including the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses, the World Food Logistics Organization, the International Refrigerated Transportation Association, and the International Association for Cold Storage Construction. For more information about GCCA, visit www.gcca.org.

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